How to Explore a Labyrinth
by MagicMissile
Summary: Enter Regal, alchemist, cartographer, and monster compendium-extraordinaire. His life: to map and discover the hidden secrets and know-its there are to a labyrinth.


**How to Explore a Labyrinth**

 _Enter Regal, alchemist, cartographer, and monster compendium-extraordinaire. His life: to map and discover the hidden secrets and know-its there are to a labyrinth._

* * *

[ _Guild: Patrol_ ]

 **Prior Labyrinth** \- _"Attack or defense? What does it matter when your main objective is to stay alive?"_ ~Golden Deer pub regular

7AM

There comes a time in an explorer's life when the guild group decides to pool their cash and get the appropriate gear for exploration.

"We should stock up on defensive gear." Jaster, their protector exclaimed. From head to toe, the man was already covered in armor. A shinier, finer plate of armor caught his attention, but Tina, their blonde dark-hunter, walked right passed it.

"Armor doesn't suit me well." Tina said, running her skinny fingers through her abdomen. "I'd prefer something with more skin."

Regal's, their alchemist, eyes shone, gazing downwards at the blonde dark-hunter's skimpy outfit. "I second that." he said.

"I third that." Andres, another member, added. "We all should travel naked. Stronger weapons only. Yes, seems absolutely brilliant!"

Karmin, nearby and the last member, inclined in thought, and asked, "And what about medicines?"

"The only weapon I'll need is the one between my legs!" Regal retorted.

A heave from Andres, "Small dagger." he said. "Fair enough, so we all agree to negate Regal's smartness and future participation for purchasing newly-acquired gear?"

Regal glazed over to a collection of shoes on sale. A particular pair, enticed him, and he ran a finger through the footwear. "Check out the texture on these boots!" he exclaimed.

Jaster clambered over Regal's side. He, too, admired its handiwork. "That is some incredible craftsmanship..." Jaster said, a thought trailing his mind. "... for lightness, not defensiveness."

"We should buy a pair for each of us! Regal's allowance!" Tina said.

"No way, Tina!" Regal said. To the side, Regal turned to Karmin, their medic who was in-between browsing and sampling numerous accessories. "What do you think of these boots, Karmin?"

Karmin's obsidian eyes perused the footwear, placed a finger on her lips, and said, "They're nice."

Andres snorted. "She thinks everything's nice!"

"They are-" Jaster said, defending Karmin, but the same thought trailed through his mind. "...for lightness, not defensiveness."

"We'll just purchase a pair for everyone!" Tina proclaimed, and so they bought many pairs of leaf boots.

Andres examined the shop for the third time and asked, "And what else should we get?"

"We should stock up on some medicines." Karmin said silently, although everyone didn't seem to have heard the medic.

"We should stock up on some medicines!" Tina, the blonde dark-hunter, suggested.

"Great idea, Tina!" Andres said, and so they went to buy medicines.

 _[ New Monster: Woodfly]_

 **Emerald Grove: Floor 1** - _"Behold, they danced pleasantly until a not so pleasant sting to the chest!"_ ~A bard named Gustav

10 AM

If Regal understood one thing: one false mishap, one failure to execute, meant a painful death for would-be veteran explorers, and death wasn't on the top of his to-do list. An itch developed from the side of his worn-out goggles, the weighted specs spilling over his messy, black thick hair, obscuring some of his vision. Setting afoot on floor 1 felt almost eternal, yet the experience, was short-lived. At first there were three pairs of blue butterfly wings, harmless floating creatures whizzing by the lush green forest without so much a care; more and more butterflies continued to linger afloat, conspiring and uniting together, a bizarre floating ritual displaying eye-pleasing patterns of singular white dots and circles for all adventurers to admire.

"Monsters? And the first 'monsters' we encounter are butterflies?" Andres said, disappointed.

"Be grateful." Jaster said. The protector trekked slightly ahead of the group, sweat embalming profusely inside his suit of armor as he surveyed his surroundings. "Who knows what else we'll find down here."

"These butterflies are beautiful." Karmin whispered, gazing upon the butterflies' attractive exhibition.

"I second that." Regal said.

"What a scene." Tina agreed. "Pretty as they are, I think we should kill them." She whipped a crackle through the forest's thin, moist air. "Should I clip all their butterfly wings with my whip, first? Or let their shredded insides rain instantaneously from above?"

Andres sniffed. "Dark. Very dark, Tina." he said, pushing his spectacles toward the bridge of his nose. As he heaved, he lowered his mace to the ground."Somehow, I should've expected that from you, of all dark-hunters."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tina inquired.

Karmin's obsidian eyes flocked to the energetic, little butterflies. "They're harmless. Why should we kill them?" she muttered. "Doesn't it seem cruel?"

"I second that." Regal said.

Jaster breathed into the fresh, but musky mildew of the forest. His face squinted, a thought running through his mind. "The labyrinth is cruel." he said with a pause, and with emphasis, and said. "People have died on this floor."

Karmin shuddered sadly and asked. "Are you suggesting that we slaughter the butterflies?"

Jaster shook his head. "No. But keep your guards up."

"Odd. There seems to be a dozen or so butterflies now." Andres said, breaking a sweat. "I'm not sure if I should be feeling frisky, jovial or very, very cautious. Perhaps afraid?"

"Frisky? Doesn't that mean excited?" Regal said, eyes seemingly ogling out of his messy jet-black hair. "I love excitement!"

"Ow, Regal!" Karmin yelled flustered. She slapped Regal's hands off her tush.

"Regal, you dare?" Tina reprimanded. She leered at the alchemist, which his response to her was a halfhearted chuckle. Tina sighed, "At this point, I fear more for Regal's hands than these butterflies."

"Sorry, this labyrinth gives me the jitters. Besides, you're not my type!" Regal said apologetically, yet winked at Tina. "I'm more of a Karmin-type of guy!"

Tina scoffed. "That's too bad. I prefer my men dominant."

"I can be dominant if you want me to. Just tell me when!" Regal said, in which Tina rolled her eyes. Regal turned to Karmin, his curious eyes staring into her enigmatic, obsidian ones. "What type of men do you like, Karmin?"

"I'm not too sure." Karmin responded slowly. Her eyes looked up, and for a second, even Jaster seemed to have been tuning in to her response. "Maybe a kind, strong man?"

Andres breathed in heftily, and pointed to Regal. "And here I thought you were interested in this strange one over there!"

"It's unique!" Regal said.

"Yes, utterly strange, unique, and fascinating." Andres said, smiling smugly.

Regal smiled back, pleased. "Thanks, Andres. Somehow, I knew you liked me!"

Karmin examined her environment, and onto the parcel on Regal's person. "How's the map looking?" she asked.

Jaster, who was up ahead, hollered. "Patrol! We've got company!"

 _[ New Monster: Treerat]_

 **Emerald Grove: Floor 1** \- _"And I said onto thee: "Frail, weak rodent. You are no match for a troubadour of such caliber! Begone!_ ~A bard named Gustav

1 PM

"Is that good company or bad?" Andres said, the group making their way toward their protector, Jaster. Up ahead, a medium-sized, purple rodent with buck teeth innocuously stared back at them.

"Oh, that's a cute little rat." Karmin wooed.

Andres sneered. "You sure it won't nibble on it's way-"

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. He hit the ground with a loud thud, his mace dislodging from his person.

Jaster unhinged his shield, and pushed Karmin to safety. "Get back, Karmin!" he commanded.

Andres' mace stood meters away, and he struggled to reach it. "Get this overgrown rat off of me!" he said. "When I said nibble, I did not mean on me!"

"Take this!" Tina shouted. Her whip sizzled, centered and below Andre's legs, completely missing the rodent.

"Yeowch! Where are you aiming at, Tina?" Andres cried.

Regal aimed carefully at the rodent, when a trio of the dozen butterflies flung its stingers. "Ack!" Regal yelped. "Watch out! These butterflies aren't friendly either!"

Jaster, engaged another trio of butterflies, gasped, and said. "What? A flanked attack?"

"Kyaa!" Karmin yelled.

"Karmin!" Jaster said, adrenaline pumping. His blade, unsheathed, but he used his shield. "Take this you conniving, little butterflies!"

The rodent lay defeated, and Tina and Andres flocked to Regal's stead. Andre's compacted strike followed by Tina's slicing of the whip, echoed through the labyrinth, as butterfly pieces scattered adrift.

"Thanks. Tina, Andres." Regal said. "Let's wipe out the rest of these butterflies before they can do any real damage."

Tina and Andres doubled on a second trio of butterflies. The butterflies were quickly eliminated.

"Great job!" Andres said.

"You too!" Tina smirked.

Regal charged his gauntlet, readied, and aimed at the final trio of butterflies attacking Jaster. A pulsation exploded from his fingertips, a fire-ball emitted, and the flame disintegrated the last of the creatures.

"Nice aiming, Regal." Jaster said, flipping open his armored helmet-visor. Regal thanked him, panting, and Jaster glazed over the team. "Everyone, okay?"

"Nothing too serious here, Jaster." Tina assessed.

"Not that Tina almost had me castrated, but I think I'll live." Andres said.

"Just a sting on the arm." Regal said, and ushered to Andres. "Think you can patch me up, Andres?"

"That actually looks pretty nasty." Andres said, patching up Regal. He surveyed for their other medic. "How's Karmin?"

"I'm fine." Karmin said.

"Amazing, she mended herself." Tina said. Tina lifted Karmin's arms, inspected her. "Weren't you stung by the butterflies, too?"

Karmin nodded. "Medic's honor. We're taught that danger on the field's always certain."

"Spoken like a true, explorer." Jaster said.

"I see." Tina said. She turned to Andres, who finished patching up Regal."Aren't you a medic, too, Andres?"

"Correct, however I'm an overall better fighter." Andres stated, "We medics in Caduceus aren't only trained in the medicinal arts." Andres said, matter-of-factly, before winking at Tina. "Why, I've got plenty of skills, you don't know about."

Regal snorted, imitating Andres. "And, does that include the art of bull's dung?"

Karmin giggled quietly, and Andres snorted, instinctively.

"Credited, Regal, because you made Karmin laugh." Andres said.

"Thanks," Regal replied. "Hey, look over there! Is that a boot?"

 _[_ _New Monster: Mole_ _]_

 **Emerald Grove: Floor 1** \- _"Do you hear, great rumblings from below? Sounds of claws on bones to the ears? Sights defiled with foul, unruly soot? Brace yourselves, for moles prey underfoot!"_ ~A bard named Gustav

5 pm

"He found a boot, everyone!" Andres said. "Who needs a resourceful survivalist when we've got Regal?"

"Is there anything inside of it?" Tina asked. She looked over Andre's shoulders, and saw Regal raising up an ivory-colored stone.

"I found this pretty white stone." Regal said.

"He found a pretty white stone, everyone!" Andres said. "And that's not half-bad!"

"Eek! Help me!" Karmin yelled.

"Drat!" Jaster said. Three humanoid magenta-colored creatures, about three-feet tall each, snickered in the distance. The one in the center, suppressed Karmin, its claws on her neck.

"You'd think rats and butterflies were enough," Andres said. "But, what are those? Big-headed clawers? Mutant rat beasts? Pink-guys?"

"They look kind of adorable to me." Tina said, eyes squinted.

"Yeck. Duly noted, Tina." Andres replied, hoisting himself.

Regal stepped steadily, and yelled, "Take this you stupid mole!" He chucked the ivory stone at the center mole, staggering the creature, and it released Karmin. "Now, Jaster!" Regal shouted.

Jaster shoved the brunt of his shield against the distracted mole, and tugged Karmin closely. He took slow, calculated strides backwards, shield pointing toward livid monsters, and said, "Tina, Andres. Attack from the right side. I'll guard against the other moles!"

"Right, they're moles." Andres said, cornering a mole between Tina and himself.

"Moles are adorable." Tina said, and stepped in preparation.

"Forget it. Your tastes are bland as ever." Andres remarked, licking his lips and tripped the cornered mole from his left. The edge of Tina's whip slapped the mole and Andre's thigh. "Yeowch! That hurt!" he wailed.

"Oops. I must have mistaken you for a mole." Tina chuckled, her whip-handle atop her dark, red cherry lips.

"A mole? What? Then that must make me adorable to you, too? Duly noted." Andres said quickly before hacking the mole, again.

"I like my moles bound and dead." Tina hissed. Her whip curled around the mole, bounding and keeping it still, and in seconds the body flew into a raging, messy piece of hide shredding.

"Ackk! Watch out for their claws!" Regal shrieked, in the distance. "They're really, really sharp!" He recoiled from the mole's last claw attacks, and Karmin hurried besides him, applied a faint, warm touch to his wounds, greatly accelerating the healing. "Thanks Karmin!" he said, refreshed.

The medic nodded, and she rose and lugged her medicine bag at the offending mole. "Take this!" she said.

Regal followed up with a strike. "Haa!" he screamed. As the mole collapsed, Regal rose his hands, high-fiving Karmin. "Teamwork is where it's at!" he said.

The center mole pushed Jaster back, claws gripping Jaster's decorated shield. "This one's strong!" Jaster grunted.

Andres sprinted, incoming, and slammed a star-dropping flash that bashed the mole inwards. "Caduceus!" Andres bellowed, dramatically. Jaster stood indebted, taking the brief second to catch his breath.

"That's the last of them." Jaster said, heaving still. He opened the visor of his helmet, a second time, thin sweat glistening around his face and chin. His chest lifted, shoulders refusing to sag underneath his armor, and he inspected the area, again. "We ought to be much more careful, next time around. That could have ended disastrious."

Regal furrowed his brows, frowning, and looked around the forest, worried. "Damn, I even lost the stone." he said, exasperated.

"It's right here." Karmin said, stone in hand. It shined ever so marvelously.

"Nice eye, Karmin!" Regal shouted, face brightened, he grabbed her hands, hoisted it skywards along with the white stone, and hurrah'ed.

"Yay!" Karmin cheered.

Jaster inspected the stone, the sky, seizing moments to register the environment. "The sunset is coming really close." he said, deeply inhaling. "We ought to make our way back before it gets too dark."

Andres swept off several pebbles underneath. "So, about me looking like a mole," he continued.

"What of it, Andres, dear?" Tina asked.

"Do you really think I'm cute?" he said. Andres' face, remained adamant, and Tina's, amused. Tina thought again, only briefly.

"Your special attack needs work." Tina finally said.

"I think you're cute." Regal interjected.

"Why I wasn't asking you, Regal." Andres rebuffed. "And which part, 'needs work', per say?"

"The name sounds too unoriginal." Tina said, chuckling, judging. She waved her hands overhanded. "You'd need to do better than that to impress me, honey."

"I think it's a nice name." Karmin said.

"I recall a certain someone who claimed Karmin thought everything was nice." Jaster said.

"Or, stated that Tina had bland tastes for that matter." Regal added.

"Thanks everyone. And Karmin, the only supportive one in the bunch." Andres turned to face the party, and said. "Forget it, I think I'll need an upgrade. I love you, Karmin."

Karmin's eyes widened. "What?" she said.

"Just go along with it, Karmin." Tina said, nonchalantly. "We all know he doesn't mean anything."

"Yep, and that's too bad," Regal said. He placed a hand on his chest, spun in front of Andres. "Because, I love her more."

"On second thought," Tina rambled.

"Very well then. Let's ask her, instead." Andres said, with a great defiance.

"Sure," Regal shrugged. "Which one of us do you think loves you more?"

"What, no. I'm sorry." Karmin apologized, fanning her hands out, abashed, flustered. "I do not know the answer."

"That's all right. I preferred that we all remain good friends instead." Regal said, satisfied, happy.

"Agreed." Andres nodded. "In this case, my love for sleep's sweet embrace outweighs all."

Tina placed her hands to her forehead. "I should've seen this coming."

"It is about that time." Jaster said.

 _[_ _New Monster: Clawbug_ _]_

 **Emerald Grove: Floor 1** -

 _The clawbug appeared_

 _resilient to attacks_

 _use fire, volt, or ice._

~A bard named Gustav

8 pm

"The labyrinth looks even more beautiful in the night." Karmin examined her surroundings. Sunlight was fleeting from the blockaded trees from above, and new light dawned over them.

"Yes, what a perfect way to die." Andres said. "Death by mutant monsters while being serenaded by its inhabitants, and enticed by this beautiful gleaming, glint of moonlight."

"I could think of many perfect ways for death." Tina said, licking her lips. She went on to brushing her palms against her body. "Boiling, skinning, roasting; to name a few."

Regal perked up, and said, "That sounds really delicious! Did we pack any food?"

"Here," Karmin said, reaching for rations, in her medicine bag.

"Thanks, Karmin." Regal said. Already, crumbs from a cracker dribbled off his chin, and he turned to the growling sounds of the forest inhabitants. "Do you think some of these monsters have subconscious'?" he said.

"Intelligence, but subconscious? I highly doubt it." Jaster answered.

"Even so," Karmin said. "I think we should avoid causing unnecessary bloodshed."

Jaster inclined his head in wonderment. "You have some very strong opinions about these creatures, Karmin."

"We don't always have to kill to explore." Karmin said, determined.

"True, although it is inevitable." Jaster said, softening his tone, "If you're so against killing monsters. Why explore?"

"For the cause of helping others," Karmin said. "There are medicinal ingredients only found in these forests."

"A very noble cause," Jaster said, agreeing. He smiled warmly underneath the visor of his helmet. "It's people like you that make living a tad bit easier."

"Thank you." she said, smiling, as if she saw a glint of his own smile. "That means a lot."

"When my recent wife passed away, I didn't know what to do with myself." Jaster said thoughtfully. "You could say this is redemption."

"What do you mean?" Karmin asked.

"Her father was an explorer from a place called High Lagaard." he continued, "Well, funny story, is she always wanted follow in his footsteps." He slapped his chest, and his armor reverberated gently inside."Then I came along."

"So you stole her away from her dreams?" Karmin said.

"Nope." Jaster said. "I swept her off her feet like the knight I was!" Again, he smiled, underneath his helmet. "That day was magnificent."

"You loved her so much." Karmin said.

"Yes, but she didn't live long." Jaster grimaced, jaws tightened. "She had an incurable disease that even the famed Dr. Hoffman of Etria couldn't heal."

"I'm so sorry." Karmin apologized.

"It's alright." Jaster said gently. "Although she was born with frail bones, her heart was strong like a vixen, and how beautiful she was." The faint memories of her swelled up in Jaster's chest and into his throat. "She always told me about the tales of her father." He paused, noticing Karmin's enigmatic, obsidian eyes, staring mysteriously. "I'm sorry, have I been rambling off too long?" he asked.

"No, not at all. Please, continue!" Karmin said animatedly.

"You all might want to take a look at this!" Regal said, pointing downwards. The creature below was about two-men wide, and a half in height, and a faint, dark-blue hue enveloped its body. The creature's eyes glowed menacingly with attached strong, sinewy arms and legs. Andres walked fearlessly right up to it.

"If I may say so myself that looks like a giant crab! Doi!" Andres flew a few paces backwards, unconscious.

"It just knocked out Andres!" Regal guffawed, jaw-dropping.

"The crab did what now?" Jaster said, alarmed.

"You stupid crustacean!" Tina wailed.

"Did she just say crustacean?" Regal looked to Jaster, Tina, and Jaster again.

"Yes. Yes, she did." Jaster said.

"Have a load of this!" Tina growled. Her whip howled like strong tides of current, but the crab did not so much as flinch. "What? It's not very effective!" she said.

Jaster threw his shield up, guarding Tina from the creature's heavy blow. "Whew! That was close!" Jaster said, his shield denting from impact, and echoing through his armor and body. Jaster braced himself, grounded, turning to Tina. "Watch out for its arms, Tina! If that thing knocks you out, too, we're done for." Jaster drew a slash at the crab's torso. "Ack! My sword won't break its armor!" he said.

"Who cares!" Tina responded. "I'll whip it until it's dead!"

"Be careful, team!" Karmin said, dragging Andres' body. "I've brought Andres to safety, but he's still unconscious!"

Regal took in deep breaths of the moist, labyrinth air. With surgical and great precision, he aimed his gauntlet's cores at the crab, and yelled, "Voltage!" The shock flew into an arc from above, hitting the crab, and sending it into spasmodic episodes. It shuddered irregularly, and finally dropped, un-moving.

"Is it still alive?" Karmin said. She glanced to Jaster who was examining the crab with heightened carefulness. Jaster turned to his team with his thumbs raised.

"Thanks to Regal's voltage attack, it should be down for the count." Jaster said. He patted his hands on Tina's shoulder. "You can stop hitting it now, Tina."

"Just for second measures," Tina said, baring teeth. She grabbed some utility rope from her supplies, and tied the creature in inhumane ways that should not be humanly possible or viewed for the faint-hearted. Jaster chuckled, amused.

"While an impressive knot, it won't hold against the crab if its still alive." Jaster said.

"Did you not see that thing?" Regal said. "It was so powerful that it knocked the winds straight out of Andres!"

"Let's be optimistic." Tina said, and took one last appreciative gaze at her craftsmanship.

"He's coming, too!" Karmin said. There was a small empty vial in Karmin's hand, only a small drip of it remained, golden leftovers.

"What happened?" Andres said, coughing. His mouth tasted mechanical, somewhat syrupy, dry, and yet gooey.

"You were knocked out." Jaster said. The protector's helmet hung in Andre's view, and in the other corner of Andre's eyes, he saw Regal's beaming face.

"Yes, you should've seen it." Regal recalled. Regal thrust his arms in the air, swooshing, slicing, and said. "Tina jumped at the crab, and even called it a crustacean!" Andres blinked indifferently, and Regal gazed at him suggestively. "She must really care for you."

"Is that true, Tina?" Andres said.

"They're right. " Tina confirmed. "Why only I, the dark-hunter, should have the privilege of hurting her minions." She jutted her chin upwards, a pleased smirk plastered on her face, mixed with strange, exotic menace and benevolence. Her tone lowered, a couple of notches, "And now that you've been knocked out single-handedly," she said. "You'll have to do more than anything to impress me now."

"Oh great. Do I look forward to that!" Andres said, dropping his head to the ground. "While I'm happy to be alive, and a proclaimed slave, that nap was rather energizing. Care to knock me out, too, Jaster?"

Jaster produced a grunt. "First, let's get out of here." Jaster said, strapping on his shield. "If nature has its way, there may be more of those crabs around." Jaster looked to his team, and onward, solemn, thoughtful. "And fighting in the night is extremely disadvantageous."

Regal bit the tip of his ink-stick, fingers trailing the flimsy paper. "According to the map, we should be-" Regal's face lit up, and he jabbed the map with a cheerful finger. "There. The labyrinth exit stairs should be up ahead. We're almost there."

Andres leaped from the ground to his feet almost instantaneously. "Let's go then. What are we waiting for!" Andres said, already ahead of the group.

"At least he's energetic now. " Tina said, sighing, laughing.

Karmin smiled back tiredly, and relieved. "Yes, let's head back." she said.

* * *

A/N: I really hope you all like this one! Please, tell me what you all think! Characters, stories, gripes, hates, likes, whatever it may be! Also, I thank you to every Etrian Odyssey writers out there, and their stories, for this great inspiration!


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